Deer Hunting Loads for Security Six

[concretus]

Hello and Thank you for letting me join this forum!!

I came into a Ruger Security Six. It has a 6" barrel and I was planning to use it to deer hunt. I was going to install a mount w/a red dot optic. I'm restricting my shots to 50yd max. I was considering to use a 180 grain hard cast lead flat point bullet. Remington has a 180 soft point but I was concerned with not getting enough penetration especially with a quartering shot. Trying to get to 1200-1300fps, will I need a gas check for the lead bullet? are the lighter (158gr) bullets adequate enough if I get them to 1300-1400fps. Any information or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Kanook]

welcome aboard

I like 180 wfngc personaly. Figure I want all the penetration I can get.

 

[bailebr3]

well i just posted on this topic in the revolver section....all i hunt with is my gp100 6". i have killed deer with the federal champion 158gr. jsp( stated as going 1240fps on the box) and also with a 180gr. handload( running around 1150fps). i can honestly say i could never tell a difference. keep it within 50-60yrds and the .357 is a killer

heres this yrs opening day harvest

and last year opening day

 

[concretus]

Congrats! After hunting this year in the woods of western VA with my DPMS LR308. I thought a handgun would do nicely the next time I went. Thank you all for the information.

 

[David LaPell]

I would say there are a couple of options. You could go with the 170 grain cast SWC Lyman #358429 and something like 14.0 grains of 2400. That out of a 6 1/2 inch barreled Model 27 is good for 1,400 fps. I use 12.5 grains of 2400 in .38 Special +P brass for my 6 1/2 inch Outdoorsman and that chronographed at 1,260 fps. I also like the #358156 in both SWC and hollowpoint form. In the SWC version which averages around 160 grains with 14.5 grains of 2400 is moving at 1,430 fps in that same 6 1/2 inch Model 27 and the 150 grain HP version running 15.0 grains of 2400 is at 1,460 fps. In my Outdoorsman I use 12.5 grains behind both the HP and SWC version of the #358156 bullet and average 1,250 or so again in .38 Special brass. I have never had one of the big Ruger DA's but I would imagine they could stand up to the same loads as the Model 27 Smith revolvers. If not you could certainly use the .38-44 loads like I use and you would certainly have your 1,200 fps. Personally though if I had the .357 Magnum for hunting I would be trying for at least the high 1,300's and even the low 1,400 fps mark with those bullets as long as it wasn't too much for the gun and it was accurate. I know the original .357 Magnum hunting loads back in the 1930's were clocked out at 1,500 fps plus.

I know the way I cast the my #358429's and the #358156 SWC's are to use wheelweights and then water drop them. That gives them BHN of around 20 and I can shoot twenty of the SWC's without gas checks with no leading at all. The #358156 is a bullet that works best with a gas check. I cast my HP versions to be about 12 BHN or so and with the gas check there is no leading at all at 1,250 fps.

 

[concretus]

After some research, I've been considering to use the Kieth type 173gr-178gr hard cast w/ 13.0 - 13.5 gr of H110. Is the cylinder on the Security Six long enough to allow that type bullet to be used?

 

[Kanook]

Yes, a 170 Keith type will fit in my Security Six. Little close but still room.

 

[concretus]

Yes, a 170 Keith type will fit in my Security Six. Little close but still room.

Thanks!!! I feel better now after I've already ordered it from Bear Tooth. I'm reading that H110 or W296 are good powders to use but the window between starting and maximum loads are small. I'm also reading that Alliant 2400 is a little more forgiving with a broader window. Are any one of these more beneficial than the other? I've reloaded ammo for rifles and other handguns for many years; including 38/357 but never these heavy loads. This area is kinda new territory for me.

 

[Kanook]

I like Unique, AA#9, then 296/H110 in that order for lead no gas cheque.

If GC is there I like AA#9, Unique, then H110/296.

For some reason, 296/H110 has been hard for me to get right. My friend swears by it in his T/C 357 barrel.

Look around for the 357mag Complete Reloading manual for a wider varity of loads.

 

[gunz56]

Any advice for a 4'' security six handload 158gr or 125 gr xtp.

 

[contender]

It's considered by many that a good quality, hard cast wide flat nosed lead boolit in the heavier weight range, (such as the 180's) moving in the 1100 to 1200 fps is a seriously good combination for hunting.
Reloading is about experimentation too!!!!

 

[sourdough44]

I shot one deer with my 357 years back. My load was factory 158 grn soft points, as I recall. I was taken aback by the poor penetration, yes I did recover the deer not far. If doing so today I would go with a heavier WFN cast bullet.

 

[hammeredbean]

The 357 magnum is under rated as a hunting caliber. I am about to get set up to reload for this caliber and am excited about it. So far, my little 3" SP101 has killed 6 deer with Fed 158 JSP from Walmart. They can't be going very fast but they still knock the hair right off of Bambi and always make 2 holes.